Montrose Aged Care Centre's Band 'Mister Permission'

This year, four residents of Montrose Aged Care Centre (“Montrose”), Lenny, Stuart, Daniel, and Ian, started 'Mister Permission,' a band inspired by their work together in their music therapy sessions with their music therapist, Michael. Stuart fronts the band as their singer, and he also plays the acoustic guitar. Lenny, an experienced organ and violin player, plays the keyboard and Daniel is the blues guitarist. “As a band, we've been able to expand our community engagement and social connection within Montrose,” Michael says.

When Stuart was younger, he used to surf and play songs by The Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel in the bands he was part of. For Lenny, his Mum taught him how to play music. “I like being in the band,” Lenny says. He also likes Midnight Oil and Russian songs including ‘Moscow Nights.’ Ian has experience playing the drums and also the guitar, and he enjoys singing. “It’s really fun,” he says of his work with 'Mister Permission.' Prior to residing at Montrose, Ian was a freelance musician.

With renditions of ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ by Bob Dylan and ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles, as well as ‘Moscow Nights’ by Lenny on the keyboard – to name a few – 'Mister Permission’ is working on an album of works which they have recorded. “‘Come on Over’ was written by a mate of mine,” Ian explains of another song on the album. “It was written four or five years ago. I like the old blues stuff.”

“The group has a flat structure,” Michael explains. “We try to make it so that everyone’s voice is heard and has choices in the songs we play. It's really about envisioning and reimagining themselves as musicians, and as a community and as a band. So, they’re building some self-confidence through that. We just share songs that we like, generally it's songs that everyone's played in the past; that we all kind of know.”

Michael meets with the residents in the Centre’s Chapel once a week for two hours. “Stuart and I actually started online when the Centre was locked down due to the pandemic, but it was a good way to have some social engagement and we had more distinct goals which was a different focus.” Kathy and Steve, the NDIS Support Workers, at the Centre, also motivate the residents to sing, with ‘Mister Permission’ starting as a band in March this year. “It's validating and can build some confidence when you're hearing music that you've made,” Michael states.

Montrose is a specialised aged care centre that caters to a diverse cohort of men, some of whom have mental health concerns or experience dementia, and the benefits of the program for the band members have not gone unnoticed. “There’s been a greater increase in focus, intention, motivation for some of the residents,” Michael says. In turn, the social aspect of the band allows for the members to form bonds and connections also, whilst also achieving their community-oriented goals.

Michael affirms the notion of social change when asked about what he finds most inspiring about his work as a music therapist. “I believe that something that music therapy can aid with is social change,” he says. “Being able to see yourself and be, someone who is a musician or is a creative person, is more motivating for you and builds confidence generally and allows others to see you as something.”